Galactic Empire
The Galactic Empire is the totalitarian galactic regime born from the ashes of the war-weary Republic. Established in 19 BBY by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the Empire rules the galaxy with a iron grip. It abolished the fundamental rights of sentient beings and other civil liberties, placing the need for a powerful state above all else Ruling through fear, the Empire's oppressive policies ultimately led to the Galactic Civil War. Since the Battle of Endor the Empire has gone through multiple power struggles, civil wars and reorganisations. It is no longer the all-powerful regime it once was. Under the stabilising influence of Emperor Bacharan Valak and later the Imperial Blitzkrieg under Emperor Vadim the Galactic Empire has effectively regained control of the majority of the galaxy and rules once more from Corsuscant. Arms of the State The Government The government of the Empire is a complicated system of competing bureaucrats, wily advisers and military commanders who seek the attention, favor and levity of the Emperor. Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) The Imperial Security Bureau is the pervasive secret police of the Empire. The ISB monitors and enforces the loyalty of both civilians and the military. It stations officers alongside both the Army and Navy to report on any possibly treasonous activities or sentiments present among the ranks. Their methods, both inside and outside the military scope, are often cunning, cruel, and ultimately deadly. COMPNOR The Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, or COMPNOR, is a socio-political engineering body charged with spreading the ideals of the New Order. COMPNOR seeks instill in the galactic population a devotion to Palpatine's vision and a loyalty to and dependance upon the very idea of Empire. COMPNOR is regarded with a mixture of awe and fear - respect for the principles for which it stands, and outright terror of the lengths it will go to achieve them. Imperial Military The Imperial Military is a powerful martial force of regular naval and ground forces that maintains Imperial law and security throughout its territory. At its height, the Imperial Navy numbered over one hundred thousand Star Destroyers. Though decades of civil war and conflict with the New Republic have weakened the Empire, its martial culture and prodigious military spending has allowed it to remain the galaxy's most powerful and numerous armed force. Imperial Stormtroopers stand apart from the Imperial Army, which owes its service to regional governors and their deputies. They are the Emperor's private army, maintaining their own chains of command and ultimately answerable to the Emperor himself. Routinely stationed alongside Army and Naval forces, they are both a potent military asset and a poignant reminder of the Emperor's absolute authority and limitless reach. Economy After the Clone Wars, the Empire stabilized and expanded the economy. Imperialization of the various trade agencies and businesses brought the economy under state control. There was no inflation during the days of Palpatine's regime. The principle form of currency in use by the Empire is the Imperial Credit, although other forms of currency. Due to the frequent shifts in galactic power and the resultant fluctuation of value, most intergalactic commerce is conducted using the Standard Galactic Credit. Society and Culture Culture within the Galactic Empire is closely monitored and carefully engineered by state organisations such as the Imperial Security Bureau and COMPNOR's Coalition for Progress. Military service is widely respected and enlistment encouraged across all levels of society, rewarded by elevated social status, lionisation in propaganda and numerous economic concessions. It is a virtual requirement for entry into public life and the vast majority of the political class serve at least one term in the Imperial Navy. Human High Culture was initiated by the Empire's Ruling Council during the reign of Palpatine. It emphasizes the social, political and biological supremacy of humans, encouraging emulation and assimilation and severely curtailing the expression of other, non-Imperial, identities. Non-humans, although Imperial subjects under law, are widely discriminated against as a result of these cultural policies; some suffer outright persecution including the systematic enslavement under legal pretenses for use as forced labor, such as the Wookiees of Kashyyyk. Male chauvinism, although never enforced by law, was also prevalent throughout the early Empire. Women are idealized as home-makers, wives and mothers, charged with safeguarding the future of the Empire. Astrography At its height, the Empire consisted of over one million member worlds and fifty million colonies, protectorates, and governorships. Its capital was Coruscant, renamed Imperial Center. Imperial territory was divided into regions, which in turn were divided into sectors, consisting of numerous star systems. Currently, the Empire has managed to regain control over a good seventy percent of its former territory, hundreds of thousands of worlds. However, due to various shakeups within the Imperial government, the number of sectors has been reduced, with fewer Moffs controlling much larger territories. Recent History The Galactic Empire drove the New Republic to the brink of annihilation by the end of a successful campaign known as the Imperial Blitzkrieg, before becoming paralyzed by internal strife. In 21 ABY, the rebellious Sith Empire was put down by Lord Aldus Thel and as of 23 ABY, he has reformed a splinter political faction known as the Restoration of the New Order, of which all newly created Imperial Player Characters are members. Operating from the largely unscrutinized Corporate Sector, these Neo-Imperials prepare to seize the throne from Emperor Vadim and usher in a new era of unity. Policies reflected on pages regarding the Imperial Faction on Star Wars MUSH wiki are those of the Restoration of the New Order and apply to PC's. History Fall of the Republic See a more detailed account here. From its establishment in 19 BBY (now known as 0 Imperial Standard Year (ISY) on official Imperial calendars), the galaxy underwent a vast cultural, social and political transformation known as Imperialization. The New Order was drilled into the everyday lives of the average Imperial citizen. At first, dissent was virtually nonexistent. The Galactic Senate had unanimously approved of Palpatine's great transformation and the average citizen, fearful and weary due to years of warfare in the Clone Wars, were more than willing to grant Palpatine supreme authority if it meant the security provided by such a regime. The Imperial Army and Imperial Navy safeguarded the space lanes and territory of Imperial space, fleets of Star Destroyers and legions of Stormtroopers terrorised those who sought to oppose the Empire into submission and pervasive surveillance operated by secret police rooted out those who would not kneel. Imperialization was largely effective. Remnants of the Republic were steadily swept away, the Imperial Senate which had been relegated to a mere advisory body was finally dissolved in 0 BBY and the galaxy at large had all but forgotten the freedoms of the Old Republic and the Jedi Order. Human High Culture, presenting humans as the pinnicle of biological and cultural achivement took hold and aliens became ever more oppressed. But the Empire's oppressive policies had sewn the seeds of starwars:Rebel Alliance. Mass protests, open revolts and armed rebellions began cropping up around the galaxy, fuelled by the ever harsher measures taken to supress them. The Death Star project, the culmination of the Empire's policy of state-sponsored terror, was deployed against the world of Alderaan under the pretense that it had begun manufacturing biological weapons for use against the Empire and its citizens. Despite the initial picture-perfect environment the Empire fostered, cracks were already forming at the seams. Several in the Imperial Senate were aware of Palpatine's true nature as a Sith and his manipulation of the war, and were secretly establishing the foundations of rebellion. Eventually, its tactics of ruling through fear turned upon the Empire. Citizens began open revolt, ending in such disasters as the Ghorman Massacre. The Death Star project was underway as the epitome of the Tarkin Doctrine, the Empire's unofficial policy of state-sponsored terror. When the Alliance struck their devastating blow at the Battle of Yavin, the Empire could no longer ignore the rebel threat and amidst a wave of propaganda, Darth Vader was assigned the task of hunting down and destroying the Rebel Alliance. Despite driving the Rebel Alliance from its secret base on Hoth, sympathy for the rebellion continue to grow and the Alliance struck a fatal blow at Endor, destroying the Death Star II and killing Emperor Palpatine. Without its leader, the Empire fell into disarray. With no successor nominated, powerful Imperial warlords fought one another for control of the remaining assets of the Empire while the rebel alliance set about restoring the Republic. The Post-Endor Imperial power struggle See a more detailed account here. The Empire splintered. Entire fleets and armies fell under the command of warlords and self-styled "Emperors". The devastation brought upon by the Empire's fragmentation allowed the fledging Republic to solidify its position. On Imperial Center, Sate Pestage, the Empire's Grand Vizier, attempted to reestablish order through his authority as the head of the Empire's Ruling Council. But his authority was challenged by many on the Council and amongst military commanders and Imperial regional governors. Ysanne Isard attempted her own coup against Pestage, utilizing her position as Director of Imperial Intelligence to undermine Pestage's regime. Her attempt failed, and Pestage was able to retain control over what was left of the Empire. Star system after star system fell to the hands of vying warlords, many whom formed their own quasi-governments and empires. Pestage did his best to maintain control, but within several months, Imperial Center would be lost to the Alliance, which transformed into the New Galactic Republic. Pestage and the Council fled to distant Dreven and worked tirelessly to reorganize the fractured government. The Ruling Council was transformed into the Interim Ruling Council and it was decided that a new figurehead was needed to bring the Empire back together. Several attempts would be made, but it would lead to further infighting amongst the Council itself for the prestigious role as "Emperor" - though it was only Emperor in name. The Empire was vastly reduced in territory and power. Its territory stretched a thin line from Byss in the Galactic Core across the Tarkin Corridor and into the Outer Rim where Dreven was located. Its military was vastly reduced; those ships unaccounted for under the control of various warlords or captured by the New Republic. Mired in its chaotic power struggle, the Republic believed that the Empire was in death throes and hestitant to grant them a unifying enemy to fight against, turned inward to focus on establishing its government and restoring member worlds. With the Republic distracted, it did not forsee the rise of one Bacharan Valak. Reawakening See a more detailed account here. Valak was a former Admiral who rose through the ranks of the Council to take its throne. Charismatic, cunning, and brutal, Valak put down all opposition and instituted reforms to breathe life into the Empire. Aided by the Dark Side of the Force and the teachings of the Sith holocrons on Ord Trasi, Valak solidified his rule and even ordered construction of a third Death Star. After putting down the Vigilant coup and dealing with the last of the Imperial warlords, Valak was crowned Emperor at a ceremony in Castle Tsabak. He successfully reunified the Empire and turned its collective power against a shocked Republic, unleashing its renewed military might in a vicious surprise assault, spearheaded by his Death Star. Territory was reclaimed and Imperial rule reestablished on many worlds. Underscoring his resolve to rule the galaxy or burn it to ashes around him, Valak destroyed several worlds including Sluis Van and Gastus IV. Coruscant was reclaimed and the Republic left reeling from the consequences of its complacency. The Galactic Confederation and the Imperial Civil War See a more detailed account here. Valak surprised much of the galaxy by establishing the Galactic Confederation. Other galactic powers were "granted" membership, intimidated into capitulation by the Death Star. Recognising that the Death Star was Valak's weakness, the Republic sabotaged the battle station with the help of Talon Karrde and executed a daring assault that destroyed the station. Without his superweapon, Valak's Galactic Confederation collapsed. An imposter calling himself Palpatine rose to prominance and established a new regime, the True Empire, on Imperial-held Mon Calamari. Many Imperials joined his cause and the Empire plunged back into civil war. While Valak ultimately defeated the True Empire, his regime was changed. His grasp on the throne weakened, the Empire's infrastucture crippled and armies depeleted, Valak simply disappeared. The War of the Throne See a more detailed account here. The War of the Throne was a series of improbable coups. In the power vacuum left by Valak's disappearance, Kendal Osbourne rose to the throne. Osbourne revitalised the Imperial Navy, destroyed the Griffon Alliance and reignited the war with the New Republic. Lorn Rhys, former head of the Bureau of Operations and leader of the Vigilant Movement allied with the fledgling dark jedi and Royal Guard commander Vassily Korolov to oust Osbourne. Rhys' reign was short lived, in turn ousted by Darth Pain, who declared herself Empress and was then killed by Rhys, who had returned a sith lord named Darth Malus. Lorn Rhys' treachery against the popular Emperor Osbourne led to a counter-coup against him. Many senior Imperial officers rebelled, forming the Neo-Imperial Movement. Rhys ultimately destroyed the faction, but at the cost of virtually all of the gains the Empire had made since Valak's rise. His rule would be a weak one. The War of the Throne ended with the intervention of Darth Malign, an agent of the mysterious Aleister Vadim. Malign captured Malus and forged a new alliance with Korolov. They appointed Danik Kreldin head of the Imperial Military, mollifying Neo-Imperial sympathies and set about planning the Empire's revenge. The Imperial Blitzkrieg See a more detailed account here. The Blitzkrieg struck deep into the heart of the Republic. Most of the galaxy was brought back under Imperial authority. Coruscant was encircled by a vast Imperial fleet and it was eventually returned to Imperial rule. Malign welcomed his master, Vadim to the galactic stage as Emperor. It was not a popular move, the mysterious figure had made little visible contribution to the war and had few connections to the Imperial heirarchy with which to command their loyalty. The most disaffected Imperial officers joined Kreldin in a failed coup, but the powerful fiefdoms that had formed out of the War for the Throne and the success of the Blitzkrieg grew ever more entrenched and powerful. Unable or unwilling to break the deadlock, Vadim's Empire began to stagnate, failing to deal the killing blow to the fractured Republic. Category:FactionsCategory:GovernmentsCategory:Society and Culture